The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-12-07
THE PRESENT AGE OF SLANG.

THE PRESENT AGE OF SLANG.
Horrid Expressions which Even Our
Sweet Girls VIII Use.
The era of slang is upon us with o
breadth that is almost appalling, says
writer in the Philadelphia Call. Not
wholly the slang that might be defined
as the burlesque or colloquial form of
expression, the language of low humor,
or the jargon of thieves and Migrants.
but species that is almost as repre-
hensible. 1t will not do to apologize
for it by saying that "slang is probably
as old as human speech, and that the
ear y writer's INDUCED in it, especially
the Greek and Roman dramatists; and,
while We may speak and write against
the pernicious habit, we suspect that
We will not grow Disguised enough with
1T to thoroughly uproot it until it has
reached its climax. The worst fact
about it is that it is not confined to the
Low and illiterate, but has invaded the
public schools, cultured society, and
the literature of our books. admit
that some of the slang expressions are
forcible and full of adequateness.
among which might name "tired out"
colossal cheek" etc. Still, even they
ought to be tabooed.
But what excuse can possibly be Of
fered for such words as "galloot, "sar-
dine, "chump," kicker" "kid," etc. !?
Or such expressions as "Waltzed off on
his ear" al should snicker," Now
you're shoutin'," etc. They are scarce
ly emphatic and certainly not polite.
Evan the FOL COW hara oo,,oht tho
lection and speak about his royal
nibs" or the "howling swell" The
girl of to-day Is ready to "bet her bot
tom dollar" wants to know what
you're givin' her," lets you know that
you are "off your base" and insists
that you shall "come of, "vamoose,'
"skedaddle," "absquatulate, and all
that You do her slight favor and
she exclaims, "Oh, thanks, awfully!"
why she should thank you with "rev-
)erend fear" is beyond your compre-
hension. Ask her to sing your favorite
sentimental ballad and she will proba-
bly, say: "Oh. really, Mr.. -, l
cawn't. It's too utterly too tool"
While playing lawn-tennis with her
she suddenly cries out: 40, you've
given me such twist!" You feel ex-
ceedingly alarmed: you are afraid that
her collar-bone is broken or that at
leGst her wrist has been dislocated.
You discover, however, that it is but
tennis slang, and that your sympathy
has been wasted. She confidently tells
you that Jennie Somebody is mo
good" and had the cheek" to pro-
pose to scratch" her at the meeting of
the club, because she hadn't "forked
over" the "spondulicks" for the last
quarter. All that is to be deprecated,
but the girls. heaven bless them, look
so pretty, and use the term so artless-
ly, that haven't the heart to be severe
in my reproof.
1t isn't pleasant to be accosted by
ones 5-year-old hopeful as IAN old
snoozer,' or to know that he is lying in
wait to knock the stuffin'" out of a
neighbours boy. or to wipe up the
floor" with him. Or to hear our short
skirted but high-spirited daughter tell
the aforesaid brother that she wishes
the other boy would paste him on the
snoot" or knock him clean out of the
box" or Unto the middle of next week. I"
don't know that am especially SEN
sitive, and yet must say that such ex-
pressions send the creeps up my back.
The editor "slings nasty quill :" the
hired girl is pot rastler;" when a
thing suits us it's lust the cheese"
when too noisy We are told to "dry up
or to suspend" when cunningly on
the alert We say mot if the court
knows ITSELF" if one day is not availa-
BILE smother one" is; when we die we
"pass in our checks" are "put away on
ice, and are finally planted" So 1
might go on al iqltinitam. You can
think, 1 am sure, of at least 100 words
and phrases to which have made no
reference. For inventing cute words
and phrases our country leads the pro-
cession. They are clever and appro-
pirate, get into the topical song, the
public "catch on, and they live and
thrive, and in many instances the die
tionary finally legitimatizes them.
Slang, L insist, is the fungus on the
stem. 1t is not the grated fruit. 1t
is the scum of language. 1t often
belittles; it never beauties. If we all
spoke and wrote in a less exaggerated
manner we would be less exaggerated
ia our ways of life and thought. Life,
as well as speech, would perhaps grow
more simple, more true, more worth
living.
Life Of the AzOreans.
The pay of first-class workman is